Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1887-07-20
The Widows Ny stery.

Mrs. Nelly Archer was one of the
pretuezt little widows that ever looked
! fascinating In the fiutter of black rib
/ bons and transparent grapes; yet. some
how, no one was ever jealous of the
affectionate, warm-hearted, beautiful
Young widow
For was she not ready to help the
helpless, care for the careless, and
think for the thoughtlcss?
You couldn't help wondering what
| people did In the benIghted times be-
/ fore Mrs. Nelly Archer came on to the
stage OF life, 50 Indispensable did she
seem to human comfort
| So, of course, the very evening OF
the day that Miss Mildred Wilton be-
came engaged to Henry Forrest, she
came up through the evening twilight,
with incense OF flowers scattered on
her path. to tell Nelly about it. 1t was
lust as natural as thinking aloud.
I'm love. you dear foolish thingl"
said Mrs. Nelly, laughingly, imprison-
ling both Cf Mildred'5 fluttering hands,
and look.n! archly under the down
sweeping fringes of her timid eyes.
'-WelI, every young girl must come,
! sooner or later, TO the place where
some some happy youth becomes glori-
/, fed in her sight, and his words are like
the law and the prophets. May you
never awake from the blisSful dream,
loveI''
"He is SO changed, somehow"
The moon, which had been a narrow
slit of pearl when Harry Forrest first
whispered his love into Mildred's WILL
ling ear, was In its sickly gibbons now;
and poor Mildred was crying on Mrs.
Nelly Archer's shoulder.
'.How, dearest?" said Nelly, stroking
the dark, dishevele1 locks, while she
pressed her cool cheek against Nil
dre1's burning forehead.
''iIe is so grave and self-abSorbed:
and when he looks at me, 1t is with
such plying glance.
And two or three times some un-
spoken sentence has quiyered on his
Hips. Nelly do you suppOse-can 1t be
possible?-that he has ceased to love
me, and wishes to be release from ouI
engagementp"
Not a bit of it; Lowell Don't dis
tress your dear little head; 1t will al
come right, L am sure. You know
that money affairs are In very critl
cal state Just now, and all business mel
are necessarily anxious" replied Mrs
Archer.
s'Do you think that is alp" muir
, INJURED Mildred, gradually hushiug hel
sobs, and drawing closer to her com
! forter, as a child distressed by sorrow
, full dreams cling5 to its soothing nurse
''Of course 1t isl And now, love, i
is growing late, and L must send you
home. Go by the main road, Mildred
it is less damp than the path along
the riverside"
, What possessed her to set out by thu
7 river path, in spite of Nelly's warning
/ Perhaps because that way was neareS
t perhaps because the finger of fat
: was IN the thing.
( For, Us she approached dense mas
: of silver brentwood that skirted TIT
p path, the sound of low voices made he
: start behind the trees with an uneas
8 consciousness that she was not alone
z The tones came nearer; and as In
: speakers emerged into the uncertain
IL moonlight from the shadowed plac
g where the path wound through IN
Q glen, her heart stood still with cnll
y sick horror.
8 She knew the promenaders we'll
l. Was this the reason Nelly had us
e sired her to go by the main roadr
Oh. falss friend-recreant loYer-h